Deeply disturbed....

[whyiloveitaly.com]

Just what do we mean when we say to someone, "I love you"?

Is it just a nice sentence? Are there actions involved? If so, what?

Are we supposed to love our neighbor? More or less than family? More or less than other Christians?  :JCThink:

Is it true that "God helps those who help themselves?" Or does He help those who can't help themselves?

Are we supposed to help those who can't help themselves? If so, HOW?  :scratchhead:

Are we ever asked to give up things we have for others?  :mshock:

Does love require anything of us, other than talking?   :btantrum:

Is it true that the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power?

Do you have the power? :Chinscratch:


Any thoughts?
Brian

[AJ]

Brian,
I'd much rather have someone tell me that they LIKE me...instead of love me.
It seems that when someone says 'I love you' it has just become so superficial...somehow it's lost any valued meaning.

AJ

[hopeful]

Wow, Brian...  You have some questions!  And God has the answer to every one!   :thumbsup:

I can honestly say that I love you- with God's love.   :HeartThrob:

[whyiloveitaly.com]

I agree with you, AJ. Love is a word that has been overused. Does everybody have the same notion of what love is? Probably not. Some confuse love with passion and sex, for example.
Others say it to friends and family, as long as no one rocks the boat.
I think one of the reasons why America has problems with kids shooting each other in schools (a part from the problem of easy gun access) is that these kids have probably never been allowed to rock the boat; to discuss their feelings, to call people on their hypocracy, to explore what love and friendship really mean. And at some point, they explode.

Hopeful: I believe what you write. However, I would encourage you to explore just what you mean when you say you love me. Would you loan me 5,000 dollars if I needed it? Probably not. If I was being attacked by violent men in the middle of the night, would you risk your life to save me? Probably not. If a hell actually existed and I ended up there and you didn't, would you cry for me? Would you plead with God to come and save me? Would you go to hell in my place? Probably not.

Or maybe you would...?

What does it mean to be a Christian? Just to get saved?

These are things I am thinking about seriously lately, and writing about on my website (www.thearnion.net)

Love to all,
Bri

P.S. Thank you both for participating on this thread! It helps me grow!

[hopeful]

Hopeful: I believe what you write. However, I would encourage you to explore just what you mean when you say you love me. Would you loan me 5,000 dollars if I needed it? Probably not. If I was being attacked by violent men in the middle of the night, would you risk your life to save me? Probably not. If a hell actually existed and I ended up there and you didn't, would you cry for me? Would you plead with God to come and save me? Would you go to hell in my place? Probably not.

Or maybe you would...?

What does it mean to be a Christian? Just to get saved?

When we let God live through us, He does all sorts of wonderful things! 
I would loan you $5,000.00 if He told me to do so.
I've never had much money though so He'd have to bless me with it first!

That's what it's all about- to me.
Living in communion and oneness with God and letting him teach, lead and live through me.
That has looked (outwardly) different at various times in my life.
Little by little He has filled me and at times He overflows!
:HeartThrob:

[shibboleth]

I believe what you write. However, I would encourage you to explore just what you mean when you say you love me. Would you loan me 5,000 dollars if I needed it? Probably not. If I was being attacked by violent men in the middle of the night, would you risk your life to save me? Probably not. If a hell actually existed and I ended up there and you didn't, would you cry for me? Would you plead with God to come and save me? Would you go to hell in my place? Probably not.

I am writing this for Debra, although it was addressed to Hopeful.

I wouldn't loan you $5,000 just because you needed it. There are a lot of people, besides me, who "need" my money. Many of them are starving, homeless, no medical care, etc. I don't help all those people and I  certainly wouldn't have any trouble finding someone who needs help.But, if you were a friend of mine and I loved you as a brother in the Lord, I would make every attempt to help you. Let's just say the money you needed wasn't a loan but a gift. How many people would just give you the $5,ooo?...not too many I suppose.

As far as you're being attacked by violent men and would I save you is concerned, no. I would most likely call the police and hope they were thee in time. I have first hand experience with this as a man was threatening another man with a golf club. I called the police and the men were gone by the time they arrived. I couldn't see what was going on, but I heard most of it and I was too fearful to go outside to help. For one thing, I have no idea why these men were fighting....maybe the guy with the golf club was the one wronged and defending himself. But, if I actually SAW a fight I hope I would have the courage to help break it up if I could.

Would I cry for you if you were in hell? It's hard to fathom such a horrible place, so I can't imagine anyone going there. Yes, I do believe I would go there for you. Maybe I'd ask the Father if I could serve some of your time, as I'm sure I couldn't endure it forever.

[willieH]

willieH: Hi Brian... :hithere:

Lots of questions...  :dontknow:  Answering them to your satisfaction might be the problem...  :dontknow:

Just what do we mean when we say to someone, "I love you"?

You must look inside yourself to answer this question brother Brian...  LOVE is a quantity which can only be measured PERSONALLY by the HEART... no other measuring device exists...  What do YOU MEAN when you say "I love you"?  :Chinscratch:

Is it just a nice sentence? Are there actions involved? If so, what?

When this "sentence" is spoken, it is of the heart, whether it be in sincerity to convey to the object, the "HIGH place" they occupy in your heart or, in deceit to GAIN the confidence of the one addressed...

As far as "actions involved", those also can be faked... If you truly LOVE someone, and speak this TO THEM, ...then the "actions involved" shall NATURALLY manifest that LOVE, for TRUE LOVE is UNSELFISH and WITHOUT MOTIVE, other than to benefit the OBJECT of that LOVE...

Are we supposed to love our neighbor? More or less than family? More or less than other Christians?  :JCThink:

If one is truly a "Christian"... their LOVE should be about OTHERS regardless of their spiritual knowledge or lack thereof...

For a true "Christian" ...your "neighbor" IS your family... GOD has so noted this, but men deceive themselves, and often choose to observe that notation as it might benefit themselves, not the other...

If you "LOVE" as does GOD... you shall LOVE ALL equally, and THAT shall become  your agenda... esteeming each person, as does HE...

Is it true that "God helps those who help themselves?" Or does He help those who can't help themselves?

GOD loves ALL equally... and HIS LOVE is NOT BASED upon your deeds...   :mshock:

If you help others which are unable to help themselves... you shall please HIM, for that is what He does through YOU, for others...

Are we supposed to help those who can't help themselves? If so, HOW?  :scratchhead:

What's in YOUR HEART Brian?  Seems to me, each should answer this question from within (inside YOUR heart), not ask how it is done by another...  :dontknow:

Desire to look past the MATERIAL and PHYSICAL world and you shall find your answer...

If you feed someone that has no food, you have done little to defeat WORLD HUNGER, but you HAVE removed ONE from the list... Which equates to MUCH in that hungry one's life...

Are we ever asked to give up things we have for others?  :mshock:

Here is some "giving up"... what do you think is the example?

CHRIST told the "rich man" to sell all he HAD, and GIVE to the POOR, then proceed to follow Him...

Was CHRIST telling us each to SELL all we have? 

Or was He saying that amidst your life, as the POOR present themselves, that you meet their needs as you are able, and THEREBY "follow Him"?

(John 15:13) GREATER LOVE hath no man than this:  that a man LAY DOWN HIS LIFE... for HIS FRIENDS...

Does love require anything of us, other than talking?   :btantrum:

LOVE requires that ONE hold the needs and heart of its OBJECT ...ABOVE... their own...  which is WHY CHRIST was willing to die in order to redeem us...

Is it true that the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power?

Do you have the power? :Chinscratch:

Again... only YOU can answer this question Brian... The "Kingdom of GOD" IS power which He invests in us... by setting Himself upon the THRONE of our Hearts... and delegating blessing to others outside ourselves via that POWER...

As far as DO I have this POWER?  In all honesty, ...sometimes I DO, and sometimes I DON'T  :sigh: 

That said, ...I am a LIFEWORK of GOD... which WORK shall take Him, ALL MY LIFE... and that LIFE is yet in progress...  :mblush:   As are the CORRECTIONS which HE ...is...  making within it...

PeaCE  :icon_king:

In  JESUS  ...name above all names......willieH    :cloud9:

[Redkora]

Doesn't Latin (the language) have fifteen words for love to denote different kinds of liking something?

Ditto to what everyone else is saying. I believe we need to actually have the love of God in our hearts to do anything of spiritual value after being saved.

[rosered]

when showing what the love of God is ............

  its more about forgiveness

  if you really read all of  matt 18


  Mat 18:35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
but we MUST ask for forgiveness first for tresspassing against our brother , in order for the SPIRIT OF LOVE  to work

  Jhn 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.




Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law.




1Th 4:9 But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently:

[as little children of the kingdom matt18] Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.

For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away:But the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

[whyiloveitaly.com]

What I mean by love it the cross. Are we taking up our cross each day? Many times, the answer is NO. (Yes, that includes me!)

My question basically is: how is a Christian's love any different than a non-Christian's love??

Didn't Jesus say that others would know we are followers of Him by our love?

Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law.

But how does that work out daily in our lives????????

There are soldiers who die for this or that cause. I consider that to be a noble deed.
-But how many Christians are willing to die today?
Shouldn't they be the FIRST people willing to die? (After all, dying means returning to our Heavenly Father, doesn't it? Isn't that a good thing?)


No. There are very few Christians who would die for a non-Christian today. But that's what Jesus did for us!
Aren't we to have the same Spirit, the same longing, the same heart????

Can anyone hear what I'm asking?


Thanks to all!
Bri

[Taffy]

What I mean by love it the cross. Are we taking up our cross each day? Many times, the answer is NO. (Yes, that includes me!)

My question basically is: how is a Christian's love any different than a non-Christian's love??

Didn't Jesus say that others would know we are followers of Him by our love?

Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law.

But how does that work out daily in our lives????????

There are soldiers who die for this or that cause. I consider that to be a noble deed.
-But how many Christians are willing to die today?
Shouldn't they be the FIRST people willing to die? (After all, dying means returning to our Heavenly Father, doesn't it? Isn't that a good thing?)


No. There are very few Christians who would die for a non-Christian today. But that's what Jesus did for us!
Aren't we to have the same Spirit, the same longing, the same heart????

Can anyone hear what I'm asking?


Thanks to all!
Bri

Hi Bri..

this may not be the answer to you your questions but
I believe Rosered hit the nail on the head....

For mine,  the DYING we do being our carnal nature....forgiveness, therefore being a Godly Trait, Christ blood spilt for the forgiveness of sin....

Not wishing to drag this into a political debate..I can understand it for many other reasons
but do soldiers laydown thier lives for others to be forgiven...

Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.


Mat 18:21 ¶ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?


Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.( ultimately)

Its a question of the Heart...partaking in his sufferings by laying down our life for others .a living sacrifice,.forgiveness being a KEY for any relationship to move forward.

Blessings
Taffy